Trends & Style tips

‘V’ Body Shape of the Apple Body or Inverted Triangle Body Shape – What to wear for your body type?

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By Definition – The ‘V’ Body Shape or Apple Body shape by definition means your figure is slightly/or more wider at the shoulder (an probably bust as well) compared to your waist or hip. Basically, the upper torso area above the waist is wider than the waist and hip area. You have leaner hips and/or waist compared to your shoulder and/or bust. Your shoulder and bust measurements are 10-15% or more than your hips.

The Idea Is – The idea here is opposite to the Pear Body with certain terms and conditions attached. I will explain further to be as understandable as possible. In condition, if you are proud of your wide and athletic shoulders petite bust to waist and hip area, the idea is only to flaunt your upper torso area and make your lower body look a little wider (think hourglass), whereas if you are not proud of your upper torso area, the idea is to make your lower body look wider and your legs more fuller, whilst’ taking away the prominence or line of sight from your upper body and balancing the line of sight for the entire body in equality (definitely not to allow the viewer’s concentration only on the lower body for that would be quite a turn off, wouldn’t it?). The idea is to add weight to the lower body unless you’re a plus size shoulder Apple figure which I will address separately.

Showing some examples of a V Body or Apple Body Shape person. These images are from my photoshoots vide collaborations from my own brand Aphrodite by Nags. See how the stylist has chosen to add volume to hide the volume on the shoulder at the same time emphasizing/accentuating her bust, also there’s no padding at the shoulder area, rather the accessories drop loosely to give the shoulder a downward slope which make it look more thinner and curvier.

If you’re tall or average(above or 5 feet 6 inches Asian or above 5 feet 8 inches Caucasian or Black), and Petite – You have a sporty body or what we call an athletic body, and you’re definitely proud of your sporty/athletic body type. But, here I would like to ask you some questions for which yourself will answer and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Are you proud of your muscular shoulders, petite bust and packed waist and is this what you want to portray?

  1. If your answer is Yes – Then you also know which areas of your body you wish to flaunt, then give prominence to those areas. Go Ahead and wear those sleeveless tops, crop tops and sporty brassieres. But avoid showing off the leanness of your lower body, rather give it volume, work with comfort fits, parallels, culottes, sailor pants, pegged pants, tapered pants and palazzos. Avoid short skirts or hot pants or any such which will allow you to flaunt your legs/hips unless you have healthy fuller legs and hips, if you have petite legs and hips, then your answer is to cover them and make them look fuller, you could wear the above mentioned. If you have well shaped hips but thinner legs, then flaunt them with garments fitted at the hips like bell bottoms, cigarette pants, Boot Cut Pants, pencil skirts, straight skirts, tapered skirts, etc. Avoid skirts/trousers at least above your ankles. Although Peplums and cowl skirts can do some wonders for you by adding the volume and hiding the thin hips. But among skirts I would suggest the ones that at least go below the knees. Corsets and midriffs are another set of garments that can do magic to you, along with loosely fitted bottoms. Busy prints paired with solid colours will also do the trick. Avoid low waist bottoms – Go for mid waist or high waist. Accessorise your neck and hands well, which will divert the attention from your leaner lower body.
  2. If your answer is No – Then the idea is to actually give volume to your lower body and make you look fuller. You are already blessed with a wider top torso, now how do we make your lower look fuller? Best is to avoid short or crop tops and go in for tops that have volume below the bust, a comfort fit. Ruffled Tops at the centre front or neckline with bell sleeves or bishop sleeves, etc. or even a flared top, that is flared below the bust, etc. About the bottom wear, my advise would remain the same as Point No.1 written right above this point. Give it volume, work with comfort fits, parallels, culottes, sailor pants, pegged pants, tapered pants and palazzos. Avoid short skirts or hot pants or any such which will allow you to flaunt your legs/hips unless you have healthy fuller legs and hips, if you have petite legs and hips, then your answer is to cover them and make them look fuller, you could wear the above mentioned. If you have well shaped hips but thinner legs, then flaunt them with garments fitted at the hips like bell bottoms, cigarette pants, Boot Cut Pants, pencil skirts, straight skirts, tapered skirts, etc. Avoid skirts/trousers at least above your ankles. Although Peplums and cowl skirts can do some wonders for you by adding the volume and hiding the thin hips. But among skirts I would suggest the ones that at least go below the knees. You should avoid corsets unless you’re ready to flaunt your shoulder and neck. The idea is to remain covered with volume over your upper torso and yet remain chic. Busy Prints or paired with solid colours will also do the trick. Avoid low waist bottoms – Go for mid waist or high waist. Accessorise your neck and hands well, as well as your hair/face to divert the attention to the more aesthetic areas.

If you’re Short (below 5 feet 6 inches Asian or 5 feet 8 inches Caucasian or Black) – If you’re short, the idea is to make you look taller (unless you don’t want to) and at the same time make your upper torso look fuller. So, the basic advise I can give is, the usage of good stilettos or wedges. Now, to balance the look, make your upper torso look fuller, and at the same time hide the wideness of your shoulders, the best way forward is to concentrate on your bust area. To make your bust area look fuller. Padded Brassieres with a little push up will do magic to the overall look. Volume at the hair will also do wonders for you. If you’re athletic and sporty and wish to flaunt that petite look, go ahead with corsets, crop tops, Halter necks and sporty brassieres; Or, stick to volume above and below your waist, whereas, avoid volume at your waist which will make you look shorter. Office wear such as smart and casual blazers paired with bottoms such as mentioned in the above points – Give it volume, work with comfort fits, parallels, culottes, sailor pants, pegged pants, tapered pants and palazzos. Avoid short skirts or hot pants or any such which will allow you to flaunt your legs/hips unless you have healthy fuller legs and hips, if you have petite legs and hips, then your answer is to cover them and make them look fuller, you could wear the above mentioned. If you have well shaped hips but thinner legs, then flaunt them with garments fitted at the hips like bell bottoms, cigarette pants, Boot Cut Pants, pencil skirts, straight skirts, tapered skirts, etc. Avoid skirts/trousers at least above your ankles. Although Peplums and cowl skirts can do some wonders for you by adding the volume and hiding the thin hips. But among skirts I would suggest the ones that at least go below the knees. Let the observers eyes compliment your the sporty side of your body and hide the leaner areas of your body with volume. But if you’re not fond of your upper torso area, then work it out flaunting your waist area using good midriff belts over a loosely fitted voluminous top such as ruffled tops with bishop, bell sleeves, petal sleeves, etc. keep it loose to add volume to you. Avoid extremely fitted garments. Blazers, Jackets, suits paired with busy prints and semi casual tops with volume will make you look longer. Avoid high waist bottoms which will make you look shorter as well as low waist bottoms which will emphasize your leaner hip and legs, Mid waist will do the trick for you. Keep the accessories minimum yet chic.

Plus Sizes (above or on size size Large/size 10 UK/size 8 US and above) – This is an extremely rare case wherein we find the ‘V’ or apple bodies who are also plus sizes as the shoulders need to be extremely wide to accommodate being wider than the rest of the body, although the bust can be well bosomed in plus sizes, if that is the case, please recheck the wideness of your hips as well, such cases, are usually top heavy and have a very lean bottom. If both top and hip heavy, then you’re a case plus size of hourglass or ‘8’ body type. If your bust and/or shoulders are wide, but your hips and legs are thinner, then please avoid any fitted garments especially at the top. Straight cuts such as straight, A-line, Flared dresses should do the trick. Parallels, Palazzos or flared will also add volume to the bottom, thereby adding balance to your wider upper. Long Jackets/loose tunics will also work in your favour, but avoid padding on shoulders as they may make you look even wider on the shoulders. Cigarette Pants might also help but avoid skin and slim fits. Avoid trousers above ankle length as well, it is best to go full length/ankle length for bottoms although the case may be different in skirts. Knee length skirts will show your healthier lower leg as a compliment, but avoid fitted ones, go for A-lines or flared. Long tunics paired with cigarette or carrot pants will also work for you. Semi fitted gowns which do no accentuate your waist or the below the waist, rather choose to accentuate your back will work for you as well.

I do admit I have taken some imagery from the following sites purely for visual and understanding purpose of the reader, the sites are: site 1 – https://www.trunkclub.com/womens-style/inverted-triangle-body-shape site 2 – https://www.kaleidoscope.co.uk/blog/news-from-kaleidoscope/dress-invertedtriangle-body-shape/

Bibliography : Although whatever I have written is original, as well as the Body Shape Images I have used are original, created by me; I have made some references to grab on to the idea, using a lot of my visualization and representation techniques of body types and women. I admit I have taken imagery for visual purposes of the reader to visually understand the looks better from here and there, as well as some study material to refresh me from the below blogs and sites.

StitchFix.com
TrunkClub.com
Stylecraze.com
theList.com
fashionbeans.com
instyle.com
magicpin.in
blog.treasurie.com
trendspotter.net

Continued from – What to wear (and possibly what not to wear) for your body type and what colours to wear for your skin colour? – For further reading about different body types and how you could understand your body type.

For reading on other body types:-
‘O’ Body Shape or Orange Body
‘8’ Body Shape or the Hourglass Body
‘A’ Body Shape or the Pear or Triangle Body Shape or Carrot Body Shape
‘H’ Body Shape or Rectangle Body Shape or Athletic Body Shape

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